Cimmerman family papers

Bronia Cimmerman Bronkesh (born Bronia Cimmerman, alternately spelled Zimmerman, 1921-2015) was born on 22 April 1921 in Sarny, Poland (Sarny, Ukraine) to Elke (née Pasman, 1899-1964) and Shaye Cimmerman (1899-1942). She had one sister, Bela (b. 1924).

After the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, Bronia’s family home was hit by a bomb, and the family had to move in with her grandparents. Shortly afterwards, the Soviet Red Army occupied Sarny. In June 1941 as the German Army approached Sarny, the family fled to Kiev where Elke’s sister Basia and her husband lived. Basia had already fled Kiev, and her husband who remained there told them they needed to flee as well. Bronia’s father and grandfather returned to Sarny, and Bronia, her mother, and sister continued to Dnepropetrovsk (Dnipro, Ukraine). After they reached Dnepropetrovsk, they took a train toward Asia. They were reunited with Basia on the train, and then decided to instead go to the Caucasus Mountains.

Elke worked on a farm, and Bela attended high school. Bronia went to Krasnodar, Russia to attend medical school. By 1942 the family fled the Germans again to Kirovakan, Armenia (Vanadzor, Armenia). In spring 1942 Bronia attended medical school in Yerevan, Armenia. After the liberation of Kiev in 1943, the family returned there. Bronia resumed her studies at medical school. They returned to Sarny in March 1945 and learned that Bronia’s father and grandparents all perished during the liquidation of the Sarny ghetto in August 1942.

In May 1945 they moved to Lublin, Poland. Bronia met Sane Bronkesh (later Sam Bronkesh (b. 1915) and they married in October 1945. They had two daughters: Annette (b. 1946) and Sheryl (b. 1950). In 1946 they went to the Neu-Freimann displaced persons camp near Munich, Germany. In spring 1947 Bronia and her family immigrated to the United States aboard the SS Marine Marlin.